MosMum
Well-Known Member
As title really, how old is the oldest horse you've seen in person, owned etc? And if passed away, how did they go (illness, pts, died in the night etc)?
Thanks
Thanks
Oldest horse you've known/owned?
- Thread starter MosMum
- Start date
dibbin
Well-Known Member
One of the ponies in the riding school at my yard is 27 and still going strong!
horseylass
Well-Known Member
Ive got a WB x Dales gelding at approx 32yrs old 
but i did go to see 'supposeably the oldest pony in yorkshire' a few years ago, who celebrated her 50th birthday
but i did go to see 'supposeably the oldest pony in yorkshire' a few years ago, who celebrated her 50th birthday 
3Beasties
Well-Known Member
We had an ex-riding school pony on loan to live out his years in our field, he was 37 when he was PTS (Collapsed in field and couldn't get up 
)
Here is the old fella -
He worked in the riding school into his 30's, he's about 36 in these piccys
(Sorry about picture quality, they are piccys of piccys)
)Here is the old fella -
He worked in the riding school into his 30's, he's about 36 in these piccys
(Sorry about picture quality, they are piccys of piccys)
Deefa
Well-Known Member
A lady at our yard has a 36yr old 16.2 TBx. He is still looking good for his age and other than his athritis which he has a suplement for he is fine!
rabatsa
Confuddled
34 year old horse. Pts due to going lame in 3 legs at once.
MosMum
Well-Known Member
Here is the old fella -
He worked in the riding school into his 30's, he's about 36 in these piccys
(Sorry about picture quality, they are piccys of piccys)
He looks fantastic for 36!!! What a handsome boy, he must have had a happy last few years
Supertrooper
Well-Known Member
My best friends 14.2hh Arab x is 37yrs and still going strong, she is very spoilt and we let her get away with alot now. She is a little ribby but has a lovely shiny coat and gets lots of nice food to eat xx
ladyt25
Well-Known Member
Ours was our 15.2hh blue cross horse who died at the age of 36. We took him on when he was 22 and had about 4 years of riding before he was retired. He was a horse with 9 lives in some ways and god knows how he actually got yo 36. He got stuck in a ditch when he was about 32 and was pulled out with a JCB, he went over the fence from our field I think twice and also once sliced open his leg badly and had to be stabled. That didn't last long as the following morning we found him out of the stable (door still shut) and discovered he'd smashed down the whole back wall (timber stables). Turns out he didn't like being stabled!!! Lol
We don't know exactly how he died as we found him dead one morning at the bottom of the hill with his head through the fencing. There did not appear to have been a struggle so, whether he fell and broke his neck or had a heart attack and fell we'll never know. He was a real stresser and had recently lost his two pals (one being his long term donkey friend he came with). We acquired a new oldie companion for him but he was very stressed and we think that maybe contributed to his demise.
We never knew how old his donkey pal was. He was a retired beach donkey when our horse's previous adoptees got him as a companion for the horse. They had him several years and we then had them both 14 years so he could have been much older than the horse when he passed away.
We don't know exactly how he died as we found him dead one morning at the bottom of the hill with his head through the fencing. There did not appear to have been a struggle so, whether he fell and broke his neck or had a heart attack and fell we'll never know. He was a real stresser and had recently lost his two pals (one being his long term donkey friend he came with). We acquired a new oldie companion for him but he was very stressed and we think that maybe contributed to his demise.
We never knew how old his donkey pal was. He was a retired beach donkey when our horse's previous adoptees got him as a companion for the horse. They had him several years and we then had them both 14 years so he could have been much older than the horse when he passed away.
bryngelenponies
Well-Known Member
The first horse I rode and the horse I learnt to ride on was a welsh mountain pony. He was a real character- he passed away at the grand old age of 41yo. I rode him well into his 30s and he still bucked with joy when we came to canter!
loz9
Well-Known Member
we have a 39yo with us on retirement livery at the mo, altho shes not doing too well now, she still has a bit of a canter round the field every now & then tho!
Sarah W
Well-Known Member
Blimey! My new horse (of a month!) Daan (16.2 TB ex trotting champion) is a mere youngest at 25 
Umbongo
Well-Known Member
A little welsh pony at my yard was 42/43 years old when he was pts!!!!!
He had no teeth left and lived off mushy food pretty much...but would still have a canter about and push through the electric fencing and knock it all down! He was pts due to treading on a nail sticking out of the ground. The owners decided it was best to pts rather than to make him go through the painful recovery.
He had no teeth left and lived off mushy food pretty much...but would still have a canter about and push through the electric fencing and knock it all down! He was pts due to treading on a nail sticking out of the ground. The owners decided it was best to pts rather than to make him go through the painful recovery.
Montyforever
Well-Known Member
I used to look after one at a riding school called Monty, he was 39 when he was pts and was ridden until he was about 35/6 because when he stopped he used to get bored and cause havock!
For the last year or so he was "uncle monty" for a foal
He didnt have any teeth left, had cushings, athritis the lot! But always stayed upbeat bless him right until the end
For the last year or so he was "uncle monty" for a foal
He didnt have any teeth left, had cushings, athritis the lot! But always stayed upbeat bless him right until the end
JenniferS
Well-Known Member
When I was still at a riding school around 4 years ago, they had a pony that was 47, and I think he was pts when he was 48! (not in work, obviously!)
unclearthur
New User
My first horse reached 27 but had been shedding molars for a couple of years, and we got to the point where our vet thought we would struggle to get him through the next winter. So he was put down in the October, before the first frosts and while he was still fit and well.
Gutting, really, because apart from some (managed) minor hind leg stiffness, he still enjoyed his RC level competing, finishing 10th in a local RC ODE six weeks before we did the deed (dressage test remarks said 'very obedient, but a little stiff'!!!).
Did the right thing, though.
http://www.cavalrytales.co.uk
Gutting, really, because apart from some (managed) minor hind leg stiffness, he still enjoyed his RC level competing, finishing 10th in a local RC ODE six weeks before we did the deed (dressage test remarks said 'very obedient, but a little stiff'!!!).
Did the right thing, though.
http://www.cavalrytales.co.uk
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Three
Well-Known Member
My arab was 35 in June.
We still hack several times a week but he has winters off - finishes work when it gets really cold and starts again in the spring. It means he can concentrate on keeping weight on!
He has no molars so can't manage hay or haylage so gets through bags and bags of Molli and Ready Grass once he comes in at night in the winter and great big weight giving feeds!
With his friend
And being ridden by a friend a couple of years ago
We still hack several times a week but he has winters off - finishes work when it gets really cold and starts again in the spring. It means he can concentrate on keeping weight on!
He has no molars so can't manage hay or haylage so gets through bags and bags of Molli and Ready Grass once he comes in at night in the winter and great big weight giving feeds!
With his friend
And being ridden by a friend a couple of years ago
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Keltic
Well-Known Member
My old girl is 30 1/2yrs old! the 1/2 yr is very important lol
She is an ex-racer and last raced about 28years ago!! I got her when she was 16 she is a pampered princess spoilt rotten but thoroughly deserves her retirement!
Here she is taken this summer
She is an ex-racer and last raced about 28years ago!! I got her when she was 16 she is a pampered princess spoilt rotten but thoroughly deserves her retirement!
Here she is taken this summer
Twinkle Twinkle
Well-Known Member
My friends TB is 30 and still going strong.
smirnoff_ice07
Well-Known Member
One of the horses at the yard i used to work on was 45 when he was put down, he was egtting recurrent colic so it wasn't fair to keep him going. Lovely horse though!
kiritiger
Well-Known Member
Ollie, age 31 - I did cross country twice on him last summer, what a legend! He was loaned to the RDA until he was 25, was then retired but came back to live at the RDA aged 30 after outliving his owner.
This is a link to a recent news story about him - disgusting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11108819
This is a link to a recent news story about him - disgusting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11108819
welsh_monster
Well-Known Member
Where I work our oldest horse was 46 when pts due to sweet itch, was still in very, very light work was perfectly healthy in everyway apart from the sweet itch and oldest pony was 44, who was retired but again healthy for his age, died naturally in the field one night, have a 30+yr old still in work, bit stiff now but still insists on tanking off with children when she feels the need!
catembi
Well-Known Member
My old girl, a TBxnative, is 37. My grandfather bought her as a 3 year old from the farm next door to his in 1976 for £200...!! She was competing & winning sj (too lively for dr) til she was 29, then she did a tendon out hacking.
She is perfectly field sound, can still roll etc, eats like a horse & kicks the gate for food/attention. She has had Cushings since 26, but pergolide + soaked oats diet has done wonders for her. She also still has all her teeth & none are even loose.
She is perfectly field sound, can still roll etc, eats like a horse & kicks the gate for food/attention. She has had Cushings since 26, but pergolide + soaked oats diet has done wonders for her. She also still has all her teeth & none are even loose.
spotty_pony
...
The oldest horse we have owned was our 31 year old Thoroughbred x. He was the most kindest, gentlest horse I have ever known. We were luck enough to own him for the last seven years of his life and had many great hacks on him (he thought he was about half his age, bless him!) until we retired him aged 29. We sadly had to have him PTS this summer, and stayed with him right until the end. We really miss him still and think about him everyday but we know how lucky we are to have known such a fantastic horse.
christi
Well-Known Member
my old girl died last year she was 38 years old , i do miss her wee sweet face xx
my horse before her was 35 when he died , i also miss his cheeky ways xx
i do hope the horse i have left, also lives a long and healthy happy life .
my horse before her was 35 when he died , i also miss his cheeky ways xx
i do hope the horse i have left, also lives a long and healthy happy life .
The_snoopster
Well-Known Member
There is an old pony up the road who is 43 and has no teeth and lives off a soup type of feed, he seems happier enough. He slipped throught the gate once and went charging off up the road, and did a old age bronco when he was caught.
Boxers
Well-Known Member
Ollie, age 31 - I did cross country twice on him last summer, what a legend! He was loaned to the RDA until he was 25, was then retired but came back to live at the RDA aged 30 after outliving his owner.
This is a link to a recent news story about him - disgusting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11108819
That is just awful - poor, poor horse. I don't know what gets into people's heads - they want a good walloping!
Boxers
Well-Known Member
About 3 years ago an old pony on the yard I am on died in his sleep - he was 34.
At the moment there is a pony there who is about 28. My daughter had him on loan for about 2 years when he was 24 and did everything with him. The owner has had him since he was 4 (she was 4 too when she got him as her first pony). He's still full of life and mischief and is ridden occasionally by the yard owners small grandchildren.
At the moment there is a pony there who is about 28. My daughter had him on loan for about 2 years when he was 24 and did everything with him. The owner has had him since he was 4 (she was 4 too when she got him as her first pony). He's still full of life and mischief and is ridden occasionally by the yard owners small grandchildren.
billy2
Well-Known Member
My current oldie is 35, probably a TBxConnie. He was semi-retired aged 32 due to a check ligament problem, came sound, then the new ponio smashed a hind splint bone for him! He's now sound again but seems happy in the field (until he's left behind) and has only lost a couple of teeth. His partner-in-crime was PTS in Feb, aged 29 (I'd owned him for 28) due to inhalation pneumonia.
bigboyrocky
Well-Known Member
mums old ex race horse was pts at 32... he was still ridden occasionally up until the spring before he was pts as he got bored otherwise... As winter started to come though he got more and more miserable (very unlike him), so we decided he'd had a lovely life and would let him go with dignity. He was a fantastic horse.. i would ride him when i was 4 with mum walking beside... he was 16.1 and i looked like a dot, but he would look after you like a gentleman.. then when i was 8, i remember cantering him round a feild and jumping him on my own.. he was amazing.. he was ridden in a gag, but with me ontop he could probably hardly feel my there aged 8, so got a bit strong, but he was so well behaved, never even though of trying to take of of try and get me off.. RIP Mr.Skip!